Schlag



A. A. HAMERSGHLAG. IGNITING DEVICE FOR GAS 0R PETROLEUM ENGINES. No.561,886.

3 Sheeta-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

Patented June 9, 1896.

WITNESSES: 7?- f/ F BY fi HIS ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 7 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. A. HAMERSGHLAG. IGNITING DEVICE FOR GAS 0R PETROLEUM ENGINES.

No. 561,886. Patented June 9, 1896.

[new/db); firms x? 15 55244177309446,

HIS ATTORNEYS.

UN TED STATES PATENT FFICF.a

IGNITING DEVICE FOR GAS OR PETROLEUM ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,886, dated June 9,1896.

Application filed February 17,1896. Serial No. 579,508, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR A. HAMER- SCHLAG, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Igniting Devices for Gasor Petroleum Engines, of which the following is a specification.

I he object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective meansfor supplying electric impulses of equal intensity to two or moreigniting devices simultaneously from a single source or generator, inorder to accomplish the simultaneous explosion in two or more cylindersof a gas or petroleum engine or similar device. I can accomplish thisobject by passing a current through the divided sections of asparking-coil, the igniting devices being in circuit with the dividedsections of said coil, or I may obtain the impulses from dividedsections of the secondary coil of an ordinary inductioncoil, or I canobtain the desired result by connecting the electric igniting devices inthe secondary circuit to a common return connected to the primary coil.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I have illustratedseveral modifications of the same, together with their applications, inthe accompanying drawings.

I will first describe the invention with particular reference to thedrawings, and will afterward point out the novelty with moreparticularity in the accompanying claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation. of a bicycle providedwith a gas or petroleum engine having my improved igniting deviceapplied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the same. Fig. 3 is afront elevation of an improved gas or petroleum engine provided with oneof the preferred forms of my improved igniting device, part of thecasing being broken away. Fig. i is adiagrammatic representation ofoperative parts of the engine shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 arediagrammatic representations of modified. forms of my improved ignitingdevices.

The essential features of the invention will first be described inconnection with Figs. 5, 6, and 7.

In Fig. 5, A and A represent engine-cylinders, and B and B pistonsworking in said cylinders. C and C are electrical contact or sparkingpoints supported in the ends of the cylinders A and A and insulatedtherefrom. D and D are resiliently-supported sparking points or contactsmounted upon the pistons B and B. The pistons B and B are groundedelectrically through the engine cylinders and frames. E is a battery,and E is a circuitwire leading from said battery and communicating withthe primary circuit F of the induction-coil. G is a vibrator orautomatic circuit breaker interposed in the primary circuit of thebattery and coil. H is asoft-iron core. I is the secondary coil of theinductioncoil, having its ends connected through wires 1' and I" withthe sparking-contacts C and C, respectively, supported in the ends ofthe cylinders. J is a wire connecting one of the central convolutions ofthe secondary coil with the ground, forming two circuits through thesections of the secondary coil and sparking-points of the engines.

The pistons B and B are adapted to operate simultaneously toward andfrom the cylinder-heads. It will therefore be observed that the contacts0 D and D G" will simul; taneously touch and close or almost touch andclose the circuits through the sections of the secondary coil I andthereby produce sparks in the cylinders A and A simulta neously and ofthe same intensity.

In Fig. 6 I have shown the primary coil F outside of the secondary coil1, and have interposed a condenser K in the ground-wire J connected tothe center of the primary coil and forming the common return for theigniting devices in the secondary circuit. lVith this exception theparts are the same as shownin Fig. 5 and are similarly indicated.

In Fig. 7 I have shown the application of my improvement to a circuitcontaining an ordinary sparking-coil. The cylinders, pistons, andcontacts are indicated by the same reference-letters. In thisarrangement the battery L is grounded at M and connects at N with acentral convolution of asparking coil 0, which is coiled around asoft-iron bar P. The opposite ends 0 and O" of the coil connect with thecontacts 0 and 0, respectively. It will therefore be observed that whenthe contacts 0 D and D G engage impulses will simultaneously passthrough the divided circuit and cause sparks of equal intensity betweenthe contact-points.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, I will describe two applicationsof my invention.

In Figs. 1 and 2,1 is abicycle-frame mounted upon the wheels 2. A A arethe cylinders, and B B are the reciprocating pistons connected by pitmen3 and 4 to the cranks 5 and 6. C C are the insulated contact-points inthe cylinder-heads, and D D are the other contact-points carried by thepistons and in electrical connection with the bicycleframe. I" and I arethe circuit-wires leading from contacts 0 O to the opposite ends of thesecondary of the induction-coil, and J is the wire connected with thebicycle-frame and united to the central convolution of the secondarycoil. X is a box secured to bicycle-frame by straps 0c and adapted tocarry the inductioncoil and battery. Y is the petroleum or gasreservoir, and Z is the valve-chest of the engine. It will be observedthat the pistons are adapted to reciprocate together, the sparking beingaccomplished in the manner already explained.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have represented a small double-cylinder explosive-engine, in which 1.0 are cylinders; 11, pistons working therein; 12, thecrank-shaft; 13, the cranks, and 14 the pitmen uniting the cranks 13 tothe piston-rods 15. 16 is the fly-wheel keyed to the projecting end ofshaft 12. Supported in the lower heads of the cylinders are theinsulated contact or sparking points 20, and mounted upon the pistons 11are the resiliently-supported contacts 21. is a small dynamo mountedupon the base of the engine-frame and having its armature-shaft 26projecting inwardly and provided with a pulley 27, over which runs adriving-belt 28, which is driven from the pulley 29, mounted upon ashort shaft 30,'which receives its motion by reason of the contact ofthe pulley 31 with the inner rim of the fiy-wheel 16, or it can bedirectly driven from the shaft. 35 and 36 are the circuit-wires leadingto and from the dynamo. 37 is the primary of an induction-coilsurrounding the soft-iron core 38. 39 is an automatic circuit maker andbreaker or vibrator. The circuit-wires 35 and 36 connect with theprimary coil 37. 40 is the secondary coil having the ground-circuit wire41 leading from one of its central convolutions to the insulated contact20 and having its opposite ends 40 and 40 leading to the groundedcontacts 21 carried by the pistons. 45 is a battery, which may be aprimary battery or a storage battery, preferably the latter. 46 and 47are the battery-wires connected with the dynamo-circuit wires 35 and 36,a switch 48 being interposed between the wires 35 and 46 for throwingthe battery 45 into or out of circuit with the primary coil 37 of thesparking-coil.

The operation of the engine shown in Figs. 3 and 4 will be clear withbut a slight exception. When it is desired to start the engine,

the switch 48 is turned to throw the battery 45 into the primary circuitof the inductioncoil. This will energize the secondary coil 40 andproduce the proper sparking in the ends of the cylinders. As soon as theengine has gotten up sufficient speed to generate a current with thedynamo 25 the switch 48 is thrown off and the primary circuit 37 isencrgized from the dynamo. The pistons 11 are adapted to move up anddown in the same intervals.

Though I have shown my improvements applied to but two forms of engines,it will be clear that the application of the invention is much broaderthan this, as I am enabled to satisfactorily supply electrical impulsesof equal strength from the same source to two or more sparking devicessimultaneously, whether the sparking devices are in the cylinders of thesame engine or of different engines, or whether the engine has one or adozen cylinders,without any outside mechanical contrivance which wouldcause a spark at the proper time, using as I do the lateral motion ofthe piston-heads.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of an explosive-engine having two or moreexplosion-chambers and electrical igniting devices located therein, anelectric battery or other generator, and an electric circuit energizedby said battery and including the igniting devices and having a separatebranch for each igniting device and a common return for all,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of an explosive-engine having two or moreexplosion-chambers and electrical igniting devices located therein, anelectric battery or other generator, an electric circuit energized bysaid battery and in cluding the igniting devices, having a separatebranch for each and a common return for all, and a sparking-coilincluded in said circuit and having its coil divided and a sectionincluded in each branch circuit, sub stantially as set forth.

3. The combination of two or more sparking devices With a battery orother electric generator, and a divided coil energized by said batteryand having branches including all the sparking devices and a commonreturn for all, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of two or more sparking devices or igniters,with adivided inductioncoil including said devices in the secondary circuit,and a battery or other electric generator in the primary circuit,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of two or more sparking devices or igniters, acondenser, a divided induction-eoil including said igniters andcondenser in its secondary circuits, and a battery or generator includedin the primary circuit. substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of two or more sparking devices or igniters, asparking-coil having its secondary coil divided to include the separateigniters in separate sections, and a battery or generator included inthe primary circuit, as set forth.

7. The combination of two s parking devices or igniters, aninduction-coil having its secondary coil divided and including thesparking devices in different sections of it having a common return, abattery included in the primary circuit, and a vibrator also included inthe primary circuit, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of two explosive-engine cylinders, the pistonsworking therein, the sparking devices carried on the cylinders andpistons, an induction-coil having its secondary coil divided in sectionswhich are grounded and include the sparking devices, and a battery orelectric generator included in the primary circuit of the sparking-coil,substantially as set forth.

9.- The combination of an explosive-engine, an electric igniting devicefor said engine, a dynamo run by the engine, a battery adapted to beincluded in the dynamo-circuit, and a divided sparkin -coil alsoincluded in said circuit and including an igniting device in each one ofits circuit-divisions, substantially as

